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Alumni Awareness Award Recipients

June 2010

MaryAnn Burkheimer of Janesville was selected as the recipient of the June 2010 Alumni Awareness Award presented by the UW-Rock County Foundation.

Burkheimer, the Program Director at the YWCA CARE House since 2007, first became a student at UW-Rock County in the fall of 1980. She was a traditional student, coming straight from high school. “I lasted just two semesters,” said Burkheimer. “I wasn’t ready for college at the time. I returned in the fall of 1996 more determined and prepared to work hard to obtain a college degree.” She went on to complete a bachelor’s degree in social work from UW-Whitewater in 2000.

While attending UW-Rock County, Burkheimer worked full-time, juggled parenting a toddler and maintained a respectable grade point average. When asked to offer advice to current students, Burkheimer stated, “Recognize the opportunity that UW-Rock County offers; the campus is an excellent place to start. UW-Rock County more than prepared me to transfer and I felt the professors had higher expectations and challenged me more than at the four-year college.”

December 2008

Jenny (Consigny) McMullen was selected as the recipient of the December 2008 Alumni Awareness Award presented by the UW-Rock County Foundation.

The Alumni Awareness Award, first presented in September 2008, was created to honor UW-Rock County alumni or former students who are recognized for their expertise and good works. These notable people must have attended UW-Rock County for at least one year, completed a higher education degree and distinguished themselves through achievements and service or contributions to Rock County, where they live and work.

McMullen, a registered nurse for the Milton Dean Clinic since 1996, first became a student at UW-Rock County in 1981. She went on to complete her bachelor's degree in nursing from UW-Madison in 1985. She began her nursing career by returning to Janesville about 21 years ago.

While attending UW-Rock County, McMullen was involved in band and enjoyed small study groups. She counts among her most memorable experiences numerous courses with Charles Rust, a former UW-Rock County professor of biology. "Because I was interested in the field of nursing, I took lots of science courses," says McMullen. "Professor Rust was difficult but he prepared me for the future. I learned how to study and developed a stick-to-it attitude. feel that UW-Rock County set the ground work for good study habits, which in turn allowed me success in Madison."

November 2008

LaVay Elg-Scott of Janesville was selected as the recipient of the November 2008 Alumni Awareness Award presented by the UW-Rock County Foundation.

The Alumni Awareness Award, first presented in September 2008, was created to honor UW-Rock County alumni or former students who are recognized for their expertise and good works. These notable people must have attended UW-Rock County for at least one year, completed a higher education degree and distinguished themselves through achievements and service or contributions to Rock County, where they live and work.

Elg-Scott, the assisted services manager for Mercy Assisted Care since 2004, first became a student at UW-Rock County in 1982. She completed her two-year Associate of Arts degree in 1984 but wasn't able to continue her education at that time, but returned 14 years later as a non-traditional student to complete her UW-Madison foreign language requirement. She went on to complete bachelor's and master's degrees in social work from UW-Madison.

Returning to college after a long break was a bit daunting, but Elg-Scott credits the teaching staff at UW-Rock County for their support and direction in helping her achieve her educational goals. "The professors went out of their way to help me," she says. "The instructors allowed non-traditional students to feel comfortable in the classroom and encouraged us to share our life experiences with our classmates. Professor (Linda) Reinhardt made me see I had a passion for helping others, allowing me to realize a career in social work was something I should pursue."

Elg-Scott offers this advice to students thinking about attending UW-Rock County, "Talk to staff about your interests and leave yourself open to a variety of opportunities. My motto has always been 'It's never too late to be what you might have been.'"

September 2008

Matthew J. Weber, Janesville, was selected as the September 2008 recipient of the UW-Rock County Foundation’s Alumni Awareness Award.

The Alumni Awareness Award was created to honor UW-Rock County alumni or former students who are recognized for their expertise and good works. These notable people must have attended UW-Rock County for at least one year, completed a higher education degree and distinguished themselves through achievements and service or contributions to Rock County, where they live and work.

Weber, Vice President/General Manager of the Controls Technologies Division of SSI Technologies, Inc. since 2001, was a traditional student while at UW-Rock County back in 1981. He went on to complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology at UW-Oshkosh.

Weber's experience at UW-Rock County was what he calls "the best bang for your buck." He admits he didn't think of himself as college material but opted to give UW-Rock County a try. "UW-Rock was my way of giving college a try without the huge financial investment," he says. "It provided me a taste of college without feeling overwhelmed. The class size was small and I received individual attention."

Weber offers this advice to students thinking about attending UW-Rock County, "You can’t plan your educational life, but UW-Rock County provides a fundamental base that will prepare you for life-long learning."

To nominate someone for an Alumni Awareness Award, contact the UW-Rock County Foundation at (608) 758-6565 ext. 390.